c/o Soren Stokes

In the past few years, the debate around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has intensified. It is used for entertainment, studying, research, shopping, and many other purposes. Despite its convenience, many people oppose the incorporation of AI into daily life. Many worry about inaccurate information, increasing dependence on technology, loss of creativity, and shrinking job opportunities. There have also been frequent cases of academic plagiarism involving ChatGPT, to the point that the University added a clause in the honor code to address it.

I’d like to look back to when iPhones were first becoming widespread at the University. Students’ thoughts from that time may provide insight on our current situation.

In a 2007 article titled “Students swoon for Apple iPhone, while some scorn price,” then-Contributing Writer Lydia Tomkiw ’11 writes about various people’s opinions on the advent of the Apple cell phone. This article appeared in September 2007, three months after the Apple iPhone launched. There were approximately equal amounts of love and disdain for the new device.

“I frickin’ love [the iPhone],” Robert Alvarez ’11 said in the article. “I’m addicted to it. I do everything on it.”

Another student, Patrick Sunwoo ’11 described its notable attributes.

“There’s a lot of minutiae about it that gets me,” Sunwoo said. “[T]he MapQuest capability, that’s hot.” 

Throughout the piece, students were fascinated by the novel and useful features, including the camera and calendar apps. The love for iPhones at that time is echoed by some of the current love for AI technology. However, pricing, a focus of the 2011 article, is not a major facet of AI in current discourse.

“I didn’t know [iPhones] were $400—that’s ridiculous,” Amanda Sim ’08 said in the article.

Others, such as Anya Olsen ’11, also saw it as a waste of money. Many students could not fathom how an iPhone could be worth its price. At the time, few students owned an iPhone, and many did not plan on ever getting one.

Despite dramatic price increases since then—on Apple’s website, the iPhone 15 Pro sells for $999, more than double the original iPhone’s cost—the device is now enmeshed in American culture. People still talk about the price of an iPhone, but demand is inelastic; people see smartphones as nearly essential.

Although the pricing of AI isn’t a hot topic so far, it will be interesting to see how it begins to come up, and how other concerns about AI evolve as it becomes more widespread. The broad acceptance of the iPhone might suggest that current concerns will fade into acceptance. But we can’t predict social phenomena for sure…yet.

Maggie Smith can be reached at mssmith@wesleyan.edu. 

“From the Argives” is a column that explores The Argus’ archives (Argives) and any interesting, topical, poignant, or comical articles that have been published in the past. Given The Argus’ long history on campus and the ever-shifting viewpoints of its student body, the material, subject matter, and perspectives expressed in the archived article may be insensitive or outdated and do not necessarily reflect the current views of The Argus or any of its staff. If you have any questions about the original article or its publication, please contact Head Archivist Sam Hilton at shilton@wesleyan.edu.